Armed Forces: Families

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to support families of armed forces personnel.

Andrew Robathan: There are considerable resources available to support service families at the level of the Royal Navy Ship, Army Regiment or Royal Air Force station. these resources are usually co-ordinated by a dedicated unit welfare officer who is able to assess what sort of support is required and then make bespoke arrangements for appropriate provision, accessing relevant service, local authority or charitable sector specialists where necessary. The resources include:
	Professional social workers;
	Station and unit community groups including HIVE information centres;
	Families Welfare Grant money to support of families of deployed personnel;
	Confidential support lines;
	Families' federations
	Dedicated support groups for the bereaved (SSAFA-Forces Help).
	We are also committed to rebuilding the military covenant and have identified a number of areas that will allow us to do so. These measures are listed in our Programme for Government that was published on 22 May.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what her estimate is of the mileage travelled by each Minister in her Department in a Government car in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

David Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 13 July 2010,  Official Report, column 624W.

Departmental Responsibilities: Armed Forces

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Prime Minister if he will appoint a Minister within the Cabinet Office with overall responsibility for the welfare of current and former military personnel.

David Cameron: The Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Andrew Robathan MP) is responsible for these issues. The Government consider the welfare of current and former military personnel as extremely important. The Coalition's programme for government sets out a number of concrete measures aimed at rebuilding the Military Covenant. All Government Ministers must ensure that their Departments do everything they can to support current and former military personnel and their families.

Iran: Capital Punishment

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the President of Iran on the death sentences on Ms Sakineh Ashtiani and others convicted for alleged adultery; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: In a statement on 7 July 2010 my hon. Friend Alistair Burt made clear our deep concern over the reports that Ms Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani would be executed by stoning. EU High Representative Catherine Ashton also issued a statement on 6 July 2010 calling on Iran to halt this and other executions. Following a statement by the Iranian embassy that Ms Ashtiani would not be stoned to death, my hon. Friend Alistair Burt telephoned the Iranian ambassador on 9 July 2010 to express concern that Ms Ashtiani could still be executed by different means and urged the Iranian authorities to review her case. We will continue to follow this case closely and raise our concerns with the Iranian authorities.

Departmental Legal Costs

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on legal advice in each year since 1997.  [Official Report, 25 November 2010, Vol. 519, c. 5MC.]

Bob Neill: The following table shows total spend on legal advice for the last financial year for  (a) the Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental bodies. Details of expenditure in earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  2009-10  Total (£) 
			 Communities and Local Government 9,564,505 
			 Government Office Network 54,714 
			 Planning Inspectorate 0 
			 Fire Service College 41,659 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre 0 
			 Housing and Communities Agency 11,913,217 
			 Ordnance Survey 765,889 
			 FireBuy 693,685 
			 Audit Commission 0 
			 Lease 3,000 
			 Valuation Tribunal Service 55,567 
			 Tenant Service Authority 0 
			 Community Development Fund 19,646 
			 Housing Ombudsman 24,702 
			 Standards Board 0 
			 London Thames Gateway Development Corporation 1,197,041 
			 Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation 996,364 
			 West Northamptonshire Development Corporation 360,657 
			 Total 25,690,648